Jeff Jagodzinski returns to Boston College as its 33rd head football coach in 2007, his 15th collegiate season and 23rd overall in coaching. Named to his position Dec. 19, 2006, the 43-year-old Jagodzinski spent last season as the offensive coordinator with the Green Bay Packers. He had spent the three previous seasons with the Atlanta Falcons after five years with the Packers (1999-2003) as tight ends coach.

Although Jagodzinski comes to BC from the professional ranks, he spent 14 years as a college coach, most recently two successful seasons (1997-98) as offensive coordinator at Boston College. At BC, his offenses averaged more than 400 yards per game in each of his two seasons.

In addition, during both years the Eagles allowed the fewest sacks in the Big East, going from last to first in 1997. In 1998, Jagodzinski saw one of his pupils gain All-America honors as running back Mike Cloud earned first-team honors and ranked third in the country in rushing; Cloud subsequently was drafted in the second round by the Kansas City in 1999. One of his linemen, All-Big East center Damien Woody, was a 1999 first-round draft pick of the New England Patriots, the 17th overall selection. Jagodzinski also coached Seahawks All-Pro quarterback (and former Green Bay backup) Matt Hasselbeck during his 1997 season at BC.

Jagodzinski served as Atlanta’s offensive line coach in 2005, a promotion he earned after his first year in Atlanta, 2004, as tight ends coach. While in Atlanta, he worked with offensive line consultant Alex Gibbs, the architect of some of the best offensive lines in NFL history, including that of the 1997-98 Super Bowl champion Broncos. prior to joining the Falcons, Jagodzinski spent five years (1999-2003) as the Packers tight ends coach and was instrumental in launching the career of three-time Pro Bowl tight end Bubba Franks.

Prior to his coaching stint at Boston College, Jagodzinski served on the coaching staffs of East Carolina (1989-96), LSU (1987-88), Northern Illinois (1986), and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (1985), his alma mater where he earned a degree in education in 1985. During his playing days at UW-Whitewater, Jagodzinski was a three-year starter and a four-year player at fullback for the Warhawks.

By Al Featherston for theACC.com

New Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski insists that he would not have left the NFL for any other college coaching job.

"Ten years ago, when I was at BC and we were flying out of Logan [Airport], I looked at my wife and said, 'Some day, I'm going to be back as the head coach,' " Jagodzinski told reporters at the ACC Football Kickoff. "I wouldn't have come back to college if it wasn't Boston College, because I knew what kind of kids I was going to get and I knew what kind of school it was and what kind environment I was going to be involved in.

"I knew I could be successful here."

The 43-year-old Jagodzinski left his job as offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers for the chance to replace Tom O'Brien in Chestnut Hill. He gave up coaching future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre for an opportunity to mentor Matt Ryan, last year's first-team All-ACC signal caller.

Senior Quarterback
Matt Ryan

"The best thing we've got going for us is our quarterback," Jagodzinski said. "Whatever league, whatever level you're playing in, you have to have that to be successful. Matt gives me a lot more options."

Ryan threw for an ACC-best 2,942 yards last season, completing 61.6 percent of his passes for 15 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He did that despite a chronic ankle problem that hobbled him most of the season.

"Probably the most impressive thing about Matt Ryan is his determination and leadership," Wake Forest defensive end Jeremy Thompson said. "Last year he had an injury but you would have never known it. He played tough and didn't show any signs of slowing down."

Ryan ought to have plenty of offensive help in his senior season. O'Brien left his successor a veteran lineup with seven offensive starters, nine defensive starters and both kickers returning from last season's 10-3 team. Jagodzinski understands that Boston College fans are expecting a lot from a team that figures to start eight seniors on offense and seven on defense.

"I'd rather be in that situation than one where I have to rebuild the program," Jagodzinski said. "I feel very fortunate to be able to step into a situation where they've had a lot of success. I think we can continue to do the same things we've done in the past, just with a different spin on it."

He also understands the opportunity he has to cement his stature with the Boston College fan base. The Eagles have gotten used to winning eight, nine or 10 games a year under O'Brien, but they also are anxious for the team to win a championship. Last year's team came excruciatingly close, but couldn't beat Wake Forest in what proved to be the pivotal game of the season. A year earlier, the Eagles tied for a division title, but lost a late heartbreaker at UNC that allowed Florida State to win the tiebreaker and earn a trip to the ACC championship game.

"We have to break the glass ceiling," Jagodzinski said. "We need to win 'that' game we haven't been able to win."

The new BC coach will get a quick read on his team, since the Eagles open with three straight league opponents.

"We'll find out very early what kind of football team we have," he said.

The team's returning veterans think they already know.

Senior Linebacker
Jolonn Dunbar

"We're going to be a lot better than we were last year," according to senior linebacker Jolonn Dunbar. "Last year, we didn't really know where the leaders were coming from. I was elected captain, but I was unsure, and, I'll be honest, at the beginning of the year, I didn't know what to expect. I was a first-time starter and I didn't know what to do. By the time of the fourth week, I was comfortable in my position and my place in the defense. Now, we know where our leaders will come from. And we're going to be a lot better defense right from the beginning."

Boston College wasn't that bad a year ago - the Eagles gave up a lot of yards (seventh in the ACC in total defense), but not many points, ranking 14th nationally by allowing just 15.7 points a game.

That's one reason Jagodzinski elected to retain defensive coordinator Frank Spaziani, who has run the Boston College defense since 1999 and served as interim coach last season when the Eagles beat Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

But the new coach will bring a new twist to the offense - both with his own input and by bringing in new offensive coordinator Steve Logan, the former head coach at East Carolina and an offensive coordinator in NFL Europe.

"We really have confidence in Coach Jagodzinski," Ryan said. "He has a lot of experience. He's coached Brett Favre and that's exciting for me as a quarterback. He's very energetic, very passionate. He's high energy. He likes to get in people's faces. It gets you excited. Coach Jags is a great fit for Boston College."

It remains to be seen whether Jagodzinski will do a better job at Boston College than O'Brien, who leaves after winning 76 games in 10 seasons, including seven bowl victories.

But win or lose, the new BC coach promises to remain upbeat.

"One of the things I vowed when I took over the head job was (that) I was going to have fun," Jagodzinski said. "I refuse to be miserable because you're supposed to be miserable as a head coach. I'm not buying into that. I'm going to have fun with these kids and win a lot of games."

STRENGTHS: QB Matt Ryan gives Jagodzinski the ACC's most proven signal caller ... the tailback tandem of L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender have combined to rush for more than 4,200 yards in their careers ... Safety Jamie Silva and cornerback DeJuan Tribble anchor a deep, talented secondary ... the defensive front seven returns almost intact from last year's solid unit.

CONCERNS: It looks like nerve damage will sideline one of the team's best players, the versatile linebacker/fullback Brian Toal, for the season.

EARLY BELLWEATHER GAME: Wake Forest, which visits Chestnut Hill on Sept. 1 for an ABC regional game, has been a nemesis for the Eagles, winning three of match-ups in the last four seasons. Beating the Deacs would be a pretty satisfying debut for the Eagles first-year coach.